Volunteer Centre Newcastle

Criminal Records Bureau checks and the Independent Safeguarding Authority

Many volunteering roles involve working with children (and young people aged under 18) or adults who are considered vulnerable. If the role involves regular or intensive unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults or people aged under 18 then it is a legal requirement that people who want to do that role complete a CRB check.

The Criminal Records Bureau acts as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for organisations, checking police records and, in relevant cases, information held by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). There are two levels of CRB check currently available, they are called Standard Disclosure and Enhanced Disclosure.

The two CRB checks are applicable in cases where an employer is entitled to ask exempted questions under the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. This includes any organisation whose staff or volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults. They are issued free to volunteers.

Standard Disclosure

This is primarily available to those working in controlled activities, as well as certain other occupations and entry into professions as specified in the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Standard CRB checks show current and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer.

Enhanced Disclosure

This is the highest level of checkapplicable to anyone working in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. It is also applicable in certain licensing purposes and judicial appointments. Enhanced CRB checks contain the same information as the Standard Disclosure but with the addition of:

any relevant and proportionate information held by the local police forces.
a check of the new Children and or Vulnerable Adults barred lists where requested.

The CRB recognises that the Standard and Enhanced Disclosure information can be extremely sensitive and personal, therefore it has published a Code of Practice and employers’ guidance for recipients of Disclosures to ensure they are handled fairly and used properly. A copy of the Standard or Enhanced Disclosure will be sent out to the applicant as well as the Registered Body.

More recently, The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been created to help prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults. This was previously known as the Vetting and Barring Scheme. The ISA works in partnership with the Criminal Records Bureau.

Increased safeguards have now been introduced from October 12th 2009:

It is now a criminal offence for individuals barred by the ISA to work or apply to work with children or vulnerable adults in a wide range of posts - including most NHS jobs, Prison Service, education and childcare. Employers also face criminal sanctions for knowingly employing a barred individual across a wider range of work.
The three former barred lists (POCA, POVA and List 99) are being replaced by two new ISA-barred lists.
Employers, local authorities, professional regulators and other bodies (including volunteer involving organisations) have a duty to refer to the ISA, information about individuals working with children or vulnerable adults where they consider them to have caused harm or pose a risk of harm.

VBS Guidance is also available covering the increased safeguards and the duties to refer introduced from the 12th October.

Please note: ISA-registration for the Vetting and Barring Scheme does not start for new workers or those moving jobs until July 2010 and ISA-registration does not become mandatory for these workers until November 2010. All other staff will be phased into the scheme from 2011. Further information on how to apply for registration will be provided by the ISA in due course.

Volunteer Centre Newcastle has worked with the Vetting and Barring Scheme, now run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority, since they were first set up. We recognise that CRB and VBS legislation has a big impact on many volunteer involving organisations.

We have also discussed this in our Newcastle Volunteering Forum and with our colleagues in other Volunteer Centres in the North East. We have sounded out our member organisations as to the impact it may have on them.

We can offer advice and information on this subject area and we are developing good practice worksheets which will be available on this website to organisations registered with our centre.